vVj 


JAPAN’S  PATH  OF  HONOR 

EDITORIAL,  NEW  YORK  TIMES.  OCTOBER  2nd,  1921 


SHALL  MANCHURIA  AND  MONGOLIA  GO 
TO  JAPAN? 

LEBBEUS  R.  WILFLEY 

FORMER  JUDGE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  COURT  FOR  CHINA 


JAPAN’S  CASE  STATED 

J.  INOUYE 

GOVERNOR  OF  THE  BANK  OF  JAPAN 


JAPAN’S  “PRESSURE  OF  POPULATION”  PROBLEM 

B.  LENOX-SIMPSON  (PUTNAM  WEALE) 


‘Published  by 

THE  CHINA  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 


No.  13  ASTOR  PLACE 
NEW  YORK  CITY 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/japanspathofhonoOOwilf 


JAPAN’S  PATH  OF  HONOR. 


Japan  comes  into  the  family  of  expanding  nations  some  two 
hundred  years  too  late.  While  she  slept  the  world  was  parceled 
out,  put  under  title  and  occupancy.  The  lands  she  craves  and 
needs  are  to  be  had  only  by  dispossessing  present  owners,  and 
it  is  not  in  keeping  with  the  modern  spirit  that  she  is  permitted 
to  secure  her  great  commercial  outposts,  as  she  plainly  purposes 
to  secure  them,  by  seizure.  That  was  the  old  buccaneering  way 
to  get  colonies,  held  in  due  respect  so  long  as  no  one  called  it 
in  question.  The  terrible  crash  that  forever  ended  the  Drang 
naeh  Osten  and  the  Berlin-Bagdad  dreams  brought  that  era  to 
its  close  and  established  the  principles  of  the  later  international 
morality,  already  even  then  coming  into  authority.  Self-deter- 
mination, the  consent  of  the  governed  and  the  equality  of  nations 
great  and  sm^all  annul  the  iron  law  of  might. 

Why  does  Japan  keep  to  the  old  abandoned  way  that  brings 
upon  her  discredit  and  engenders  distrust,  when  there  lies  open 
before  her  the  new  way  that  will  win  her  the  confidence  and 
sincere  friendship  of  all  other  nations?  Why  should  she  not 
discard  all  thought  of  expansion  by  conquest  and  intrigue,  and 
secure  by  fair  dealing  the  colonies  she  requires  for  the  overflow 
of  her  population  and  the  building  up  of  her  commerce?  The 
Japanese  are  a proud  people.  They  feel  that  the  astonishing 
progress  they  have  made  in  the  short  seventy  years  since  West- 
ern civilization  knocked  at  their  door  is  proof  of  a racial  capacity 
and  skill  and  genius  that  give  them  title  to  a place  among  the 
foremost.  But  locomotives  and  bridges  and  steel  plants  are  not 
the  greatest  work  of  man.  Battleships  are  very  far  from  being 
his  noblest  work.  In  all  these  Japan  excels.  Let  her  now,  if 
she  would  win  her  way  unchallenged  to  high  consideration  among 
the  nations,  bring  forth  a work  of  the  spiritj  greater  than  any 
of  the  hands ; let  her,  who  has  been  a follower,  an  imitator, 
become  a leader,  seizing  the  torch  of  civilization  from  the  hand 
of  the  foremost  and  bearing  it  on  herself.  It  would  transform 


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and  exalt  her  could  she  give  this  conspicuous  sanction  to  that 
“prescription  of  open,  just  and  honorable  relations  between 
nations”  which  the  high  contracting  parties  of  the  Versailles 
Treaty  pledged  themselves  to  promote. 

Specifically,  let  Japan  get  the  territory  she  needs  by  fair 
bargaining.  It  is  everywhere  admitted  that  room  for  growth 
is  the  vital  need  of  her  national  life.  In  her  home  land  she  has 
a population  of  nearly  400  to  the  square  mile.  It  is  true  that 
Belgium  is  prosperous  with  650  to  the  square  mile,  but  Belgium 
has  no  high  mountains,  while  much  of  the  area  of  Japan  is  given 
over  to  uninhabitable  peaks  and  slopes.  It  is  the  wish  and  aim 
of  the  Japanese  to  extend  their  empire  by  colonial  growth,  by 
securing  territory  abroad  to  which  the  surplus  population  can 
be  transported,  ultimately  to  become  purveyors  of  raw  material 
to  the  home  manufactures,  and,  at  the  same  time,  furnishing  a 
market  for  their  products. 

The  question  at  once  arises.  Where  is  there  any  considerable 
territory  open  to  peaceful  and  honorable  exploitation  by  Japan? 
It  is  not  imperative  that  her  colonies  should  lie  near  her  island 
empire.  Germany’s  vision  and  plans  of  penetration  belted  the 
globe ; her  merchants  were  quite  at  home,  not  only  in  Russia, 
but  in  remote  Brazil  and  the  Pacific  islands.  There  are  broad 
domains  in  Eastern  Siberia  and  in  Mongolia  that  might  be  found 
available  for  Japan.  Manchuria  is  practically  in  her  hands, 
not  by  the  cleanest  of  titles.  Perhaps  China  might  consider 
formal  conveyance.  It  would  be  better  to  sell  at  a round  price 
than  to  surrender  on  the  terms  that  Japan  has  set  for  herself. 
In  Africa  room  might  be  found  for  Japan,  possibly  by  trans- 
ferring some  of  the  mandated  German  territory.  And  there 
are  immense  regions  in  Central  Asia,  sparsely  peopled  by  tribes 
incapable  of  progress  and  production. 

If  Japan  would  cease  her  naval  expenditure  of  $600,000,000 
a year,  she  would  soon  have  a fund  big  enough  to  give  her  high 
standing  in  the  international  real  estate  market.  The  objection 
instantly  urged  is  that,  while  land  is  a commodity,  the  human 
beings  inhabiting  it  cannot  be  bought  and  sold  in  this  way. 
Alwaj^s  the  consent  of  the  inhabitants  is  assumed  as  a prerequi- 
site. It  would  be  obtainable  in  some  of  the  territories  we  have 
mentioned,  if  Japan  went  about  getting  it  in  the  right  way. 


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There’s  the  rub,  the  whole  case  for  or  against  a peaceful  and 
unopposed  policy  of  expansion  for  that  empire. 

Japan  must  be  reborn  in  grace  before  she  attempts  it.  Plain 
speaking  is  best,  and  it  is  no  news  to  her  that  she  is  regarded 
as  not  a good  neighbor,  as  a bad  master.  Her  policy  toward 
China  is  one  of  studied  aggression ; covertly  or  by  open  bullying 
she  aims  at  control  of  that  vastly  numerous  but  feeble  folk. 
She  has  subjugated  Korea  and  treats  the  Koreans  in  a way  that 
is  an  international  scandal.  All  that  must  be  changed,  and  a 
stop  put  to  it  before  Japan  can  make  any  headway  in  peaceful 
colonization.  She  must  be  so  transformed  that  the  holders  of 
spheres  of  influence  in  Africa  would  not  look  with  alarm  upon 
her  coming  to  them  as  a neighbor.  This  means  a complete  trans- 
formation for  Japan.  She  is  governed,  guided  and  controlled 
far  too  much  by  thirteenth  century  ideas.  Presenting  a modern 
and  parliamentary  aspect  in  front,  somewhere  in  the  dark  back- 
ground she  maintains  an  ancient  embodiment  of  military  caste, 
a general  staff  that  has  far  too  much  to  say  about  her  policies. 
German  ideas,  German  training  have  been  a curse  to  her.  She 
is  militaristic,  imperialistic;  she  dreams  of  conquest  and  of 
rising  to  great  heights  of  power,  a frame  of  mind  which,  in  these 
modern  times,  is  dangerous,  pestilent,  most  of  aU  to  herself. 
There  are  modern-minded  men  in  Japan,  many  of  them;  men 
who  see  the  light,  men  who  would  be  the  natural  leaders  of  the 
democracy  they  would  be  glad  to  see  established.  But  the  great 
change  must  take  place  before  these  men  can  come  to  the  fore. 
That  change  wiU  make  all  the  difference  in  the  world  in  the 
attitude  of  other  nations  toward  Japan. 

The  amplitude  of  this  program,  involving  radical  changes 
in  Japan’s  conduct  and  policy,  requiring  that  she  should  con- 
demn what  she  has  practiced  and  practice  what  she  has  con- 
demned, may  make  it  seem  audacious.  It  is,  nevertheless,  one 
that  may  seriously  be  commended  to  her  consideration.  The 
fate  of  Germany  should  be  a sufficient  warning  that  imperialism 
and  militarism  have  no  place,  cannot  be  tolerated,  in  this  modern 
world.  We  do  not  see  how  she  can  well  take  exception  to  the 
counsel  of  upright  dealing.  We  can  offer  her  a few  examples. 
At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  although  victorious,  we  paid 
Mexico  $15,000,000  for  the  territory  transferred  to  us.  We  paid 


4 


Eussia  $7,000,000  for  Alaska.  We  paid  Spain  $20,000,000,  not 
as  a purchase  price  of  the  Philippines,  but  as  a solatium.  We 
have  just  ratified  a treaty  providing  that  we  shall  pay  Colombia 
$25,000,000  in  compensation  for  her  loss  of  Panama,  where  we 
“took”  the  Canal  Zone.  The  founders  of  the  League  of  Nations 
recognized  the  vital  fact  that  “just  and  honorable  relations 
between  nations”  are  the  surest  guarantee  of  peace.  The  adop- 
tion of  the  rule  of  justice  and  right  dealing  in  her  international 
policy  would  he  worth  more  to  Japan  than  the  navy  she  is  build- 
ing at  such  tremendous  cost. — Editorial,  New  York  Times,  Oc- 
tober 2nd,  1921. 

(Eeprinted  by  permission.) 


SHALL  MANCHURIA  AND  MONGOLIA  GO  TO  JAPAN? 

Letter  from  Lebbeus  R.  Wilfley,  Former  Judge  of  the  United  States 
Court  for  China,  to  the  “New  York  Times.” 

To  the  Editor  of  the  New  York  Times-. 

Most  heartily  commending  your  powerful  editorial  of  Oc- 
tober 2nd,  entitled  “Japan’s  Path  of  Honor,”  I desire  to  ask 
permission  to  submit  a few  facts  which  I believe  have  a material 
bearing  on  the  suggestion  you  throw  out  in  this  editorial  on  the 
very  important  subject  of  the  necessity  of  finding  an  outlet  for 
Japan’s  overcrowded  population.  While  your  comment  on  this 
subject  amounts  to  a mere  suggestion,  it  raises  one  of  the  most 
difficult  problems  which  the  coming  Armaments  Conference  will 
be  called  upon  to  meet.  You  state : 

“There  are  broad  domains  in  Eastern  Siberia  and  in  Mon- 
golia that  might  be  found  available  for  Japan.  Manchuria 
is  practicall  in  her  hands,  not  by  the  cleanest  of  titles. 
Perhaps  China  might  consider  formal  conveyance.  It  would 
be  better  to  sell  at  a round  price  than  to  surrender  on  the 
terms  which  Japan  has  set  for  herself.” 

Now,  on  this  point  I have  this  to  say:  Manchuria  is  just 
as  much  an  integral  part  of  China  as  Shantung.  It  has  a purely 
Chinese  population  of  fifteen  millions  of  souls,  almost  equalling 


5 


that  of  Korea.  In  your  editorial  you  state:  “She  (Japan) 
has  subjugated  Korea  and  treats  Koreans  in  a way  that  is  an 
international  scandal.” 

With  this  spectacle  before  her  eyes  China  could  hardly  be 
expected  to  consider  formal  conveyance  of  Manchuria  to  Japan 
on  any  terms. 

Furthermore,  it  is  a well  known  fact  that  Japan’s  experi- 
ment at  colonization  in  Manchuria  and  other  parts  of  China, 
which  was  undertaken  on  a serious  scale  some  ten  years  ago,  has 
resulted  in  failure  for  two  reasons.  In  the  first  place,  the  Jap- 
anese are  unable  to  compete  with  the  Chinese  as  agricultural- 
ists, shopkeepers  or  traders;  and  in  the  second  place,  the  Japan- 
ese have  refused,  on  account  of  the  rigor  of  the  climate,  to  go 
into  the  northern  parts  of  Manchuria,  Mongolia  and  Siberia, 
areas  which  are  sparsely  settled  and  where  competition  is  light. 
As  a result  of  this  experiment,  Japan  has  completely  changed 
her  policy  towards  China.  She  no  longer  contemplates  the 
colonization  of  China,  but  has  for  her  manifest  purpose  to 
Koreanize  that  country — that  is  to  say,  forcibly  to  subvert  her 
sovereignty,  reduce  her  to  the  position  of  a subject  state,  admin- 
ister her  government  outright  and  exploit  her  resources  and 
markets. 

Experience  has  demonstrated  that  the  Japanese  are  poor 
colonizers.  They  are  not  frontiersmen.  Chili  and  Brazil  have 
offered  inducements  to  the  Japanese  to  settle  in  those  countries, 
but  with  very  limited  success.  The  Japanese  prefer  to  go  into 
countries  like  California  and  Australia,  where  the  climate  is 
congenial,  where  wages  are  high,  and  living  conditions  good,  so 
that  they  can  amass  a competency  and  eventually  return  to  their 
own  country. 

I recognize  that  it  is  highly  desirable  that  Japan  should 
have  an  outlet  for  her  overcrowded  population,  but  I submit 
that  it  would  be  unfair  and  most  unwise  to  undertake  to  relieve 
Japan’s  situation  in  this  respect  at  the  expense  of  another  civ- 
ilized nation,  which  also  has  an  overcrowded  population,  and 
which  has  the  same  right  to  independent  existence  as  has  Japan. 

Furthermore,  China  needs  an  outlet  for  her  rapidly  increas- 
ing population.  Shantung  is  already  greatly  overpopulated,  and 


6 


statistics  show  that  a very  large  number  of  her  population  an- 
nually emigrate  to  Manchuria  and  Mongolia.  Statistics  also 
show  that  China’s  population,  which  is  now  four  hundred  mil- 
lion, has  increased  in  the  last  twenty  years  by  about  sixty-seven 
millions.  At  this  rate,  by  1950  she  will  have  a population  of 
considerably  more  than  five  hundred  millions.  Japan  has  a 
population  of  377  to  the  square  mile;  Shantung,  528;  Belgium, 
664;  England  and  Wales,  666,  and  the  Netherlands,  589.  Fur- 
thermore, Japan’s  statistics  show  that  during  very  recent  years 
the  rate  of  increase  in  her  population  shows  a marked  decrease. 
While  this  comparison  is  hardly  fair  to  Japan,  on  account  of 
the  mountainous  character  of  her  territory,  yet  in  this  connec- 
tion it  is  well  to  remember  that  she  has  large  territories  of  her 
own  which  are  only  sparsely  inhabited  and  which  are  capable 
of  accommodating  from  ten  to  twenty  millions  of  people.  I 
refer  to  the  large,  rich  island  of  Hokkaido,  lying  just  north  of 
Hoshu,  the  main  island  of  the  Japanese  archipelago,  and  which 
has  a climate  similar  to  that  of  western  New  York.  In  addition 
to  this  large  island,  Japan  also  has  the  southern  part  of  Sag- 
halien,  Formosa  and  Korea,  in  which  areas  her  attempts  at 
colonization  have  not  been  successful. 

In  view  of  the  foregoing  facts  and  in  view  of  the  further  fact 
which  you  point  out  in  your  editorial,  namely:  that  Japan  “is 
not  a good  neighbor”  and  “a  bad  master,”  I submit  that  the 
permanent  acquisition  by  Japan  of  Manchuria  and  Mongolia 
would  be  calculated  to  aggravate  rather  than  alleviate  a situation 
already  abhorrent  to  China  and  fraught  with  danger  to  the 
Peace  of  the  World. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

Lebbeus  R.  Wilfley. 


New  York  City,  October  7,  1921. 


(Reprinted  by  permission.) 


7 


JAPAN’S  CASE  STATED 
by 

J.  INOUYE, 

Governor  of  the  Bank  of  Japan. 

HEAD  OF  BANK  OF  JAPAN  DEPRECATES  MIGRATION. 


Governor  Inouye  Says  It  Is  Hopeless  to  Think  of  Moving 
Nippon’s  Increasing  Population. 


Washington,  Nov.  8 (Association  Press.) — The  Japanese  na- 
tion is  really  unfit  for  emigrating  abroad,  declared  Governor  J. 
Inouye  of  the  Bank  of  Japan  in  discussing  the  question,  “What 
does  Japan  want  economically?”  as  related  to  the  Washington 
armament  conference.  Governor  Inouye ’s  views,  given  to  The 
Associated  Press  correspondent  in  Tokio  prior  to  departure  of 
the  Japanese  armament  delegation  to  the  United  States,  are  con- 
sidered important,  as  it  is  his  voice  that  will  he  heard  in  Tokio 
as  the  wise  men  of  Nippon  cable  from  time  to  time  instructions 
to  their  plenipotentiaries  on  matters  financial  and  economic. 


“As  historically  proved,”  said  Governor  Inouye,  who  is  re- 
garded as  Japan’s  greatest  authority  on  finance  and  economy, 
“it  is  almost  hopeless  to  think  of  removing  our  increasing  popu- 
lation to  other  countries. 

“Our  population  is  increasing  by  over  600,000  yearly,  but 
foodstuffs  cannot  be  increased  in  quantities  sufiicient  to  meet 
such  a rapidly  augmenting  population.” 

He  pointed  out  the  shortage  of  cotton,  wool,  steel  and  iron 
ore  for  Japan’s  industries,  and  continued : 

“Such  being  the  case,  there  is  no  other  way  for  Japan  to 
solve  such  a vital  problem  concerning  the  economic  existence 
of  the  nation  than  to  find  resources  in  economic  activity  abroad. 
It  will  be  quite  natural  that  Japan  choose  Manchuria,  Mongolia 
and  China,  with  which  she  has  the  most  intimate  relations  his- 
torically and  also  geographically.  From  this  economic  activity. 


8 


however,  Japan  should  not  be  misunderstood  as  insisting  on  ter- 
ritorial exclusion. 

“Japan’s  economic  activity  should  be  directed  not  only  to 
acquire  an  outlet  for  the  products  of  home  industries,  though 
that  may  suffice  other  countries,  but  she  must  further  settle  the 
vital  question  of  the  economic  existence  of  the  nation.  Conse- 
quently, there  may  be  difference  of  degree  between  the  economic 
activity  of  Japanese  and  that  of  the  other  nations  in  Manchuria, 
Mongolia  and  China;  the  situation  will  easily  be  understood  by 
all  the  powers.  It  is  quite  unreasonable,  if  any  one,  by  reason 
of  such  difference  of  degree,  should  declare  that  Japan  is  intend- 
ing to  exclude  the  other  nations.” — New  York  Times,  November 
8,  1921. 


JAPAN’S  “PRESSURE  OF  POPULATION”  PROBLEM. 

by 

B.  LENOX-SIMPSON 

(Putnam  Weale) 

Excerpt  from  an  address  by  B.  Lenox-Simpson  at  a luncheon  given  him 
by  the  China  Society  of  America  at  The  Bankers  Club, 

New  York  City,  October  31,  1921. 

“As  for  any  actual  necessity  for  Japan  going  overseas  to 
relieve  the  pressure  of  her  population,  the  facts  today  prove  con- 
clusively that  there  is  no  such  pressure.  Korea,  after  being  six- 
teen years  in  Japanese  hands,  has  less  than  400,000  Japanese 
immigrants,  or  an  average  influx  of  25,000  a year.  Formosa, 
after  twenty-six  years’  ownership  by  Japan,  has  little  more  than 
100,000  Japanese  residents.  The  leased  territory  in  Manchuria 
and  the  South  Manchuria  Railway  Zone  have  under  90,000  Jap- 
anese. That  is,  during  two  decades  Japan  has  only  sent  to  these 
regions  slightly  more  than  half  a million  people.  If  we  examine 
the  emigration  from  the  British  Isles  during  a like  period,  we 
find  a figure  so  vastly  superior  to  this  total  that  it  is  made  quite 
plain  that  there  is  no  such  pressure  in  Japan  as  there  is  in  the 
United  Kingdom.  Moreover,  last  year’s  statistics  show  that  Jap- 


9 


anese  increase  in  population  has  fallen  from  half  a million  an- 
nually to  280,000.  If  this  diminished  birth  rate  is  maintained, 
it  will  be  yet  another  proof  that  the  cry  of  overpopulation  is 
entirely  fictitious.  There  is  one  final  remarkable  fact.  Japan 
has  at  home  in  her  own  territory  enough  land  to  take  care  of 
forty  years’  normal  increase.  The  northern  island  of  Hokkaido 
is  still  only  sparsely  colonized  and  could  carry  ten  millions  more. 
Similarly,  if  the  crown  lands  belonging  to  the  imperial  family 
were  thrown  open  to  the  colonization  of  the  Japanese  people 
there  would  be  room  for  an  additional  ten  millions.  A country 
that  has  available  land  which  could  support  an  increased  popu- 
lation of  20,000,000  and  yet  cries  that  it  must  expand  abroad, 
is  actually  dishonest.  What  Japan  requires  is  not  overspill 
areas  but  what  I call  wealth  contact  areas.  In  other  words, 
wherever  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  the  white  man  has  pioneered 
and  created  his  standards  of  life,  there  do  the  Japanese  desire 
to  go.  They  do  not  like  Latin  America  as  much  as  other  parts. 
What  they  really  desire  is  access  to  Anglo-Saxon  America  and 
Anglo-Saxon  Australia,  where  the  standards  are  immensely 
higher  than  elsewhere  and  the  cash  returns  correspondingly 
great.  That  seems  to  me  everything  that  needs  to  be  said  on  this 
side  of  the  question.” 


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